How to Unshrink the Wool Sweater You Accidentally Put in the Dryer

It may not need to go to your daughter's doll wardrobe

As a general rule, I refuse to buy clothing requiring anything more than being thrown in the washing machine and dryer, being hung in my closet and put on my body. Dry clean only? NOPE. Needs to be ironed every time I wear it? HECK NO. But every now and again, I find myself in love with something that's not quite as easy to care for and I try really hard to be diligent and care for it properly. Once per quarter (or even less, sometimes), I take my few items for dry cleaning in and happily fork over my cash to keep my wool peacoat or suit in tip-top shape.

I begrudgingly wash my bras by hand and hang them on hangers in my closet, wishing desperately I could throw them in the wash. I try to remember to put my other delicates in a mesh bag but I'll be honest - I don't. And I never, ever, ever throw my sweaters in the laundry basket.

Except I did, one time. And my beautiful, Merino wool sweater came out of the dryer looking like something my son would have worn. A year ago. So, I did what any respectable adult would do and I used the sweater I spent more than I care to admit to spending on to wipe my tears while I sat on the couch questioning how I could have missed it in the laundry basket that afternoon. But then, I remembered watching my Mom unshrink something once using the basin in the basement, a little lukewarm water and a lot of patience so I sprung into a action.

So, what does one do when they shrink a wool sweater? Start by trying not to lose your cool. Take a few deep breaths, maybe pour a glass of wine (or vodka) and relax. Yes, it sucks. No, it's not the end of the world. Depending on how much shrinkage has occurred, you may be able to salvage it. Frankly, if I can do it - you can do it.

What you do

Feel free to use your sweater to wipe any tears that are still on your face.

Fill your basin, sink or bathtub with enough lukewarm water to totally cover your shrunken item. As it's filling, add some conditioner or baby shampoo - this will help loosen the fibres in the sweater.

Place your shrunken sweater in the water and gently massage it to help loosen the fibres. Keyword here: GENTLY. You don't want to harm the item.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, occasionally using your hands to gently stretch the sweater in length and width. Once it's back to the size it should be, remove from water.

Don't wring it out but instead, press water out bit by bit using the side of your sink, basin or bathtub.

Lay flat on a thick, absorbent towel. You may need to manipulate the sweater a bit to get it back into the shape it should be.

Pray to the clothing gods.

Never make that mistake again.

I can't say whether or not this would work for other shrunken items or fabrics, like denim or dress pants, but I can say that my sweater was revived. I wish I had had the mental clarity to photograph it in its shrunken state but I think I actually went into survival mode because this sweater is a favourite - I almost never wear it because I don't want anything bad to happen to it (go figure, right?).

I Got a Piercing to Cure My Headaches (And it Worked)

Who knew shoving metal through your cartilage could REDUCE pain?!

I’ve often joked that headaches are a side effect of parenthood, and in some ways it’s true. Kids are loud and they’re stressful and sometimes they keep you up all night, and all of those things can cause headaches. But I’ve had headaches for as long as I can remember. In fact, I can’t remember a day when I didn’t have a headache – at least for part of the day.

While a typical headache or fog has long been part of my day-to-day, the debilitating migraines totally flatten me. The sharp pain above my right eye and on the right side of the base of my skull is indescribable. My mouth will taste metallic – almost like blood – and then there’s the nausea. It will hurt to wear my glasses. It will hurt to lie down. It will hurt to hold my head up or turn it side to side. Generally, I try to stay in a dark, quiet room. It’s miserable – and it’s rarely possible as a working, single parent.

I switched my diet. I started identifying triggers. I work out more, and drink more water. The number of migraines has been reduced – possibly due in part to the fact that I no longer take hormonal birth control – but the headaches continued. I've been prescribed medication for the pain, but there's nothing about taking prescription pain killers that I love. (Except maybe the awesome sleeps.)

So I had a piece of metal shoved through the cartilage of my ear in hopes of alleviating the headaches. And guess what? It worked.

When I first heard of daith piercings back in December, I was intrigued – and a little skeptical. So I started reading everything I could get my hands on, and I called a few piercing places to inquire. There have been no studies to prove that this piercing does anything other than look badass, but patient testimonials and even a few acupuncturists have said they believe these piercings do help with ailments like migraines and even anxiety.

The daith piercing is in a pressure point that has long been touted as the spot to reduce migraines and headaches in acupuncture. Since I hate taking an expensive prescription narcotic for the pain (and because nothing else really worked), I figured I had nothing but $60 to lose so, after asking my physician for his opinion (his honest response: “GET IT GIRL!” (also: love my doc)), I walked into Adept Tattoo & Piercing in Halifax, NS and took the plunge.

The clamp on my ear gave me an instant, acute headache. It made me worry that I was about to make a huge mistake – what if this made things worse? – then, the needle went through, and BOOM: headache and pressure, gone. A month later and it’s not quite healed, but I’ve had some excellent payoff from that Saturday afternoon trip to the piercer’s table.

In the last two months, I’ve gone from dull, daily headaches to having only four days within the month where I had a headache – and only one morning when I’ve woken up with a headache. I would ordinarily have 1-3 migraines a month, and this month I’ve had none. (I keep track of my headaches on a calendar.)

I’m not recommending you run out to your local piercer and shove metal through your ear and I’m certainly not recommending you stop following your physician’s orders. Rather, I’m sharing my personal experience. If it’s something you think you’d like to try, consult with your physician and understand that what works for one person may actually exacerbate the issue for others. If you do get pierced, I know I don’t need to tell you to go to a reputable place and ask questions — lots of questions.

If you’ve gotten a daith piercing – or you want to! - let me know in the comments below!

Ashley—an East coast-dwelling single mum of Finn the preschooler and Duncan, The Wonder Cat—has the propensity to be a little feisty, but tones it down for her day job as a public relations peep. Shoes are her best friend.

She believes that full-fat foods and pretty underthings are the key to happiness and that nachos are perfectly acceptable to eat every night of the week, as you can always change up the toppings. Gigantic cups of coffee get her through the day until she can unwind at night with a big glass of wine.

Ashley's trying to do it all while looking good, and hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. She knows every word to most children’s television theme songs and considers her car a concert venue. When she’s not playing with dinkies, blogging or searching for the perfect pair of jeans, she's got her eye out for Mr. He Just May Be The One.